Selenium
Selenium is a trace element the body gets from food or food supplements; supplements use forms such as selenomethionine, selenium yeast or sodium selenite. The selection includes selenium tablets and capsules and formulas that combine selenium with vitamin E or C, or with ginkgo extract and omega-3.
In the catalogue: Vitamins and minerals, Other minerals.
Related selections: Zinc supplements.
How to choose selenium
The selection holds supplements in which selenium is the main ingredient: selenium alone and selenium with vitamins. Compare them by the amount of selenium in the daily dose.
What the selection holds
- Selenium alone – tablets and capsules; in this selection from 50 to 200 µg in the daily dose.
What to check on the pack
- Micrograms: look at the µg of selenium and the % NRV in the daily dose; the NRV for selenium is 55 µg.
- Compound: the label says which form of selenium is used – for example L-selenomethionine, sodium selenite or selenium yeast.
- Total from all supplements: if you take a multivitamin and selenium on its own, add up the selenium from all of them: EFSA has set a tolerable upper intake level for adults of 255 µg a day, food included.
- Form: tablets and capsules are dosed one by one, liquids with a measuring spoon or the cap.
Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. A food supplement is not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision, consult a doctor before use.
Questions and answers about these products
Guidance on combining with other supplements and foods, focusing on avoiding excess intake.
Selenium and vitamin C are both antioxidants, but they work differently. Combining them in one tablet makes practical sense.
Selenium is involved in antioxidant enzymes, while vitamin C works in the water-based part of the body, so the two cover different areas and complement each other.
One tablet contains 50 µg of selenium and 50 mg of vitamin C; the card does not explain the role of each component in detail.
